Andes Mountains

The climate of the Andes Mountains really varies depending on where you are. The southern portion of the mountains is rainy and cool. The central part of the mountain range is dry, and the northern Andes are warm and rainy. The mountains are capped with snow, but then there is a rainforest close by! The climate is really different depending on where you are and the altitude of the mountains in the surrounding areas. The rainforest used to be bigger, but it’s slowly going away.The Inca Empire began here in the Andes way back in the 1400s. It’s really interesting to think that people were here so many years ago. Eventually, the Spanish conquered the Incas. Three main crops come from the Andes Mountains today. These are tobacco, cotton, and coffee. They also grow Coca here, which they use in small amounts in some herbal teas. It’s also kind of a big deal, because apparently Coca is used to make drugs, too. Mining is also a big business in the mountains. The main minerals are iron, gold, silver, tin, and copper. The Andes are known for being the most important sources of these minerals in the world! Being here is so much fun. It gets pretty cold at night, but it’s very pretty during the day. The mountains are so big! It’s so different from being at home. It’s very peaceful and quiet. I’ve really enjoyed being here and learning about these mountains.